Work

Material and grinding behavior analysis of cemented carbides with cobalt-reduced and cobalt-free binder materials

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Manufacturing companies require large numbers of high-performance cutting tools, which are often made from cemented carbides due to their high hardness and toughness. Cobalt (Co) is typically used as a binder because of its favorable mechanical properties and the high solubility of tungsten carbide (WC) in Co. However , Co is considered a critical raw material, as it is both economically important and subject to high supply risks due to political instabilities in its mining regions. In addition, Co mining and handling pose environmental and health risks to workers. These concerns motivate the search for alternative binder materials in cemented carbides. Nickel (Ni), iron (Fe), and a nickel–chromium-cobalt mixed binder (NiCrCo) are investigated in this work as potential binders containing less or no Co. The grinding behavior of cemented carbides has so far mainly been studied for Co-bonded systems. For cemented carbides with alternative binders, the grinding behavior in dependency of the material characteristics and grinding parameters remains unclear. This work characterizes these cemented carbides using hardness and critical fracture toughness measurements at various temperatures, and mesoscale structure analysis. Furthermore, analogy surface grinding experiments on the mentioned materials are carried out. Combining the material characterization and grinding analysis, conclusions on the material removal behavior are derived. The study shows that alternative binders lead to comparable, but not equal material properties and grinding behavior. These results contribute to a knowledge-based grinding of cemented carbides with alternative binders, supporting more economical, ecological, and human-friendly production of cemented carbide cutting tools.

Source: The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology

DOI: 10.1007/s00170-026-19044-y

Authors: Peter Breuer, Fabian Brüssel, Sebastian Prinz, Thomas Bergs

Institutions: RWTH Aachen University, Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT

Language: English

Topic: Advanced materials and composites

Subfield: Mechanical Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Responsible consumption and production

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,990